The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-02-04

three would have been sufficient But
now to business. Where are those sap
phire and diamond ornaments that have
made you the envy of all bcholders this
season, and added n faint luster TO the
brilliancy Of your charmsgr
Yes-certainly his manners are not in
keeping with his clothesl
''My sapphires" gasps she feebly.
And diamondsl Do not detract from
their value. p'-sharply-"let us
have no nonsense. know you keep them
in this room or the one beyond; but
where9 I assure you'll beg you to believe
that I would not for worlds have reused
you from your happy dreams had not
my failure to discover the jewels COM
PEELED me to apply to you for assistance"
my uncle always keeps them, " begins
the girl, telling her lie without regret
in the fond but vain hope that it NAV
save her sapphires. All ut once the
suave manner of the man disappears, and
an angry oath escapes him.
"Look here GIRL" he says roughly,
though his voice is fine and squeaky as
ever, ''no triflingl l know these stones
to be in your keeping, and l shall have
them tonight or''--
He pauses, draws the revolver again
from his pocket, and significantly clicks
ab' w hOlt ulc tut SdDDllItSF
"Over here,h says Millicent, now fairly
cowed She moves mechanically toward
the wall opposite, and raising her hand,
touches spring that is evidently con-
nected with some secret press in the
wall-a press concealed by the papering.
A small door flies open, and not hav-
ing the courage to actually give him her
treasures Gewels are always dear to a
woman, be she good or bad), she points
family to the disclosed cupboard.
The man in fustian lifts his lantern,
peers curiously into the recess, and with
a low cry of triumph seizes upon the
different cases that lie side by side upon
the wooden shelf. Cool, even in the mo-
ment of victory, he opens the cases de-
hberately one by one, to make sure Of the
contents. Yes, they all lie there-the
beautiful glittering things, for which a
girl is crying, and for which man is
bartering his soul
Lifting his head, after sharp but hur-
ried examination of the stones that ap-
parently satisfies him, he sees that Milli-
cent too, is gazing earnestly at the ,
pretty baubles once hers, so soon to be
hers no longer; and that as she gazes, her !
soft eys are full of tears
Seems cruel, ehS' he saws. "Well.
that you may say in the future was not
ungenerous | will leave you this out of
your treasures for which you are so ready
to shed your tears. l wonder If they are
dearer to you thanh-- He pauses alb
ruptly, as one might who has been about
to say something better left unsaid.
Than your lover" He winds up with
that low, suppressed laugh again, that
certainly does not belong to him, and
thrusts into her unwilling hands a small
but exquisite locket, heart shaped, gilt
tering with sapphires and diamonds.
Think it is gift from the man you
Will marry" " he says lightly, in that dis
agreeable voice of his ''And now. fol-
low me-or rather, go before me-to the
door,
1t is the door leading to the corridor
without to which he points. Millicent,
still as one in dream obeys him and
goes toward it. He opens it carefully.
and backing outward ON to the corridor.
always with his eyes on her, comes there
to standstill.
bid good night, madame" he saws
mockingly. And then (she can remem-
Der little about it afterward, so swift it
was) something was flung over her face,
and pressed there; there was a moments
struggles moment that to her was an
eternity-and then a strange dullness:
the sound Of a door hastily closed; the
echoing of departing footsteps; a sense
OF su1ocation, and afterward a ceasing
from all knowledge, and deadly blank.
To BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT